Empty or Full

There are promises that God makes, in the book of Isaiah, chapter 58, that at first seem hard to believe. They are hard to believe for a long list of reasons, but does it always need to be that way?

A number of years ago our family started sponsoring Compassion children who live in El Salvador. One became two, and then a couple of years ago we added a third. Does sponsorship make a difference? Does it make a difference in Jesus name?  The answer is no...kind of...Giving a monthly amount doesn't make a difference. Just about any of us can do that. 

Becoming a sponsor is a much greater honour and privilege. It's a relationship. And relationships require that you make room in your life, that you exchange thoughts, hopes and disappointments. My amazing wife, Amanda, is the one most responsible for maintaining these relationships. And the cost of time, creative energy, and finances, is very much an investment, not an expense.

In the first three days of our trip we have been spent, physically, with all the building involved under the hot Salvadoran sun. Today we were spent emotionally. We had the privilege, once again to meet and enjoy time with our sponsored children. They met us at our hotel, where we played games, shared a meal, showed photos, and got caught up on their educational progress.  In the exchange, it is just incredibly humbling to see and hear that they have treasured every piece of information that we share in the letters. They ask questions based on what they have learned through those letters and they have treasured the pictures we have sent to them by post or by email. Becoming a sponsor has allowed us to be spent emotionally (and there is a financial expense as well),..but those long hard hugs at the end of a visit, refill our emotional tanks to overflowing...God doesn't have to do that, but He is faithful to his promise. 

And then this afternoon, we had the unique privilege of sharing with the Salvadoran Shelter team about the differences that the Lord has been making in our church family over our 10 years of sending teams. Over 60 different people have made their way here, at their own expense, at the sacrifice of salary, time away from family and familiarity. Our desire in this meeting was to bless them by giving testimony to how we as individuals, as families, as a church family and as a community are being transformed in Canada, because of the strengthening of mutuality in our partnership here. Tyson summed it up well, "I don't how it happens, but we went in there to bless them, but now we're sitting here overwhelmed by what the Lord is doing with all of us."

So as I sit here tonight, so blessed to be part of a family, a church family, a mission family and sponsorship families, I am spent yet I am full...even to overflowing. 

Deve